Technology Biz Recap: Vodafone’s Consideration, Google Passes Test

Vodafone (NASDAQ:VOD) is considering a cash bid for Cable & Wireless Worldwide. Sources add that the offer could come in around 700 million pounds ($1.1 billion). Buying the struggling company would allow Vodafone to offload ever-increasing Internet traffic to a fixed network with more capacity.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) says the Fair Labor Association will conduct special voluntary audits of Apple’s final assembly suppliers. The audits will include Foxconn factories in Shenzhen and Chengdu, China, at Apple’s request. The FLA is an independent group of companies and universities focused on improving labor practices.

Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) will majorly overhaul its site which, includes better customer feedback mechanisms, as well as more attempts to promote short-term deals and special events. The company experienced a fourth quarter earnings miss last week, and as a result shares dropped.

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) is working on $120 million worth of new construction projects at its headquarters, reports the San Jose Mercury News after reviewing public records. Among the projects a “Google Experience Center” to show off new innovations; and a lab for an initiative called “Project X,” which is believed to involve high-precision optics.

TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO) trades higher. The signing of a licensing deal with AT&T AdWorks (NYSE:T), which will allow it to leverage anonymous household viewing data from AT&T’s U-verse TV service, as well as TiVo boxes is the result. TiVo claims the deal will allow it to improve the quality of its customer research and advertising services.

Motorola Mobility (NYSE:MMI) revenue growth is believed to drop by 700 basis points says Barclays. On the other hand, Barclays believes that Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) 2012 and 2013 revenue growth will fall by only 400 basis points. It also see Google’s Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization margin taking a 1430 basis point hit in 2012 to 40.9%. Google shares fell in early January after Motorola’s fourth quarter warning increased fears that the latter’s struggling phone division will eat into the former’s profits.